” Bonniey, how is your online thing going on?”
This is the first or second question I get from my parents when I call them since I told them that my wife and I quit our jobs to build an online writing business.
You see, in Kenya working from home is still a foreign concept.
People still believe in the traditional go to school, get good grades, get a good college/university degree, get a white collar job, buy a second-hand car, marry and live happily ever after formula.
A majority of the people still believe that writing or any online business should only be a side-hustle.
But, my wife and I come from a different school of thought.
We believe that we can, and we will build a successful online writing business when working from home, traveling and working with clients from all over the world.
Five years ago I read a book that changed my mindset about school, work and earning an income. I read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. In the book, he explicitly explains the benefits of school and the benefits of being street smart. He tells of the lessons he learned from his rich dad regarding education, earning income and, investing. Since then, I knew that my career life would be significantly different from that of my peers.
So, when my wife and I landed our ‘dream jobs’ we had already started a ‘side hustle’ in online writing. We both loved earning extra income as we help brands through content marketing.
My wife was an Accountant in a high-end health facility while I was working for an NGO as a Psychologist.
We both LOVED our jobs.
But, we made the bold move to quit our jobs and focus on growing our online business.
“Why would you both quit your good jobs” My mother agonizing with our decisions.
This is why:
- We LOVE spending more time together.
- We want to build something together.
- We want to work WITH, not for, like-minded entrepreneurs.
- We want to be our own bosses.
- We want to create jobs, not rely on the government, NGOs and other employers.
So, we quit our jobs and made WRITING our full-time commitment.
Our parents still think we are nuts!
But, we believe in taking risks, pursuing our dreams, mini-retirements, all without compromising our happiness as a couple. It’s our first year as full-time freelancers, and so far we are doing much better than we were doing in our 9-5 jobs.
- We are healthier! [We workout every day]
- We spend more quality time together!
- We have a more quality circle of friends!
- We are working with clients from all over the globe!
- We are both doing what we love!
- We are earning more $$$ !
It’s time the millennials stopped complaining about the laxity in government, the lack of opportunities and other lame excuses. A change in the mindset can create a whole lot of difference in the perspective.
Today, the internet and most specifically social media have globalized the world. It’s possible to work remotely and earn a decent income. According to the statistics by Upwork, there are approximately 57.3M freelancers in America. And, this trend is only going to increase.
In conclusion, according to Forbes, soon, 50% of the employees will be working remotely. So, why not embrace the culture today. It’s fun, more flexible and creates more time to spend with family and friends. However, it requires much more discipline to work from home as opposed to working from the office.